Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Cookie Dough Cupcakes. Yum!!

It’s Wednesday! That means halfway through the week. You made it this far, I think it’s time for a super indulgent treat! How about some chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes? These cupcakes are so good, that I have a hard time sharing them. This recipe is fool-proof and will be one you use for many events to come. I promise!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Chocolate Cake: I always use this chocolate recipe!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Frosting:

Recipe from The Cupcake Review

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

1. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a small bowl. Add water and vanilla and mix well. Add flour and salt and stir to combine. Stir in mini chocolate chips (optional).
2. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.

• 1-3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon milk

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 1-1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, unsalted butter, salt, and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.
2. Add milk and continue mixing until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary. With the mixer running, slowly add remaining 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, mix until well combined.
3. At this point you can mix in the eggless cookie dough mixture that you placed in the fridge. Mix in enough cookie dough to suit your taste. I like a lot 🙂

Frost your chocolate cupcakes with this delicious cookie dough frosting, top with some mini chocolate chips, or even some choco9late jimmies, and enjoy!!

Have a great rest of your week my friends. Stay Sweet!

Xo, Jill

Red, White, and Blue!

Is everyone ready for some fun 4^th of July Cupcake ideas?? Ok good, me too! I’ll start with my really fun, and really easy Red, White, and Blue Minis.

What you will need:

• Vanilla or White Cake Cupcake Batter. My favorite recipe is this one!
• Red and Blue food coloring
• Vanilla Frosting (Great Buttercream recipe here)
• White Mini Cupcake liners
• Festive Sprinkles
• 3 medium size bowls

Directions:

1. Split the cake batter into 3 different bowls
2. Dye one bowl of batter red, and one blue
3. Place your cupcake liners in your cupcake pan
4. Start by putting a small amount of red batter at the bottom of each cupcake liner
5. Follow that by putting the plain vanilla batter in each cupcake liner on top of the red
6. Finish with a small amount of blue batter in each liner
7. Bake according to direction in recipe
8. Once your cupcakes are completely cooled, frost them. Do not use too much frosting, a little dollop will work just fine
9. Pour your festive sprinkles on a plate – I like to combine a bunch of different types of sprinkles.
10. Turn your frosted cupcake upside down and dunk it in the sprinkles on the plate

It’s as easy as that! Absolutely the perfect size for kids to enjoy at a 4^th of July BBQ!

You can use the same technique to make Jumbo cupcakes too. Just use a bigger cupcake pan and more batter 🙂

Like the idea of cupcake jars?

Just layer the cake and frosting in a red white and blue pattern and voila – the perfect 4^th of July picnic dessert!

Hope everyone is having a fabulous week and is ready for a relaxing holiday weekend.

Happy 4th of July my loves!

Stay Sweet,

Jill

Summer Flower Cupcakes

 

Summer Lovin'

Hello my loves! Today I am so excited to share a super fun recipe with you!

This weekend I was asked to cater a special “going away” luncheon. I decided to make summer flower cupcakes. They were so easy and the guests loved them! The set up and decorations were really fun too.

Let’s get started!

Summer Flower Cupcakes

Ingredients for the Cake

• 6 cups white flour sifted

• 2 tablespoons baking powder

• 1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened

• 3 cups granulated sugar

• 2 cups milk

• 2 tbs of Vanilla Extract

• 12 egg whites

Directions for the Cake

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Fill cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

2. Sift together flour and baking powder. Set aside.

3. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Set aside.

4. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Set aside.

5. With mixer at slow speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with milk.

6. Beat well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.

7. Gently fold egg whites into batter.

8. Pour into cupcake liners.

9. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Bright Colored Marshmallows make these flowers POP!

Ingredients for the frosting and the decoration:

• One bag of mini, colored marshmallows

• 1 stick of unsalted butter (softened)
• 1 stick of salted butter (softened)
• 4 cups of powdered sugar (sifted)
• 3 tbs of half and half
• 1 tbs of vanilla

Directions

1. In your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium high until it turns white and fluffy (about 5 minutes)
2. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time- mixing on medium speed
3. Add the half and half and the  vanilla – mix well for 2 minutes or until well combined
4. If you want thicker buttercream – add more powdered sugar.

1. Once your frosting is finished, set aside
2. Cut the mini marshmallows is half, creating little petals
3. After your cupcakes have cooled completely, frost them. For best results, I used a piping bag to pie the frosting in a swirl on the cupcake. This gave the cupcakes a more polished look once the petals were placed on top.
4. Starting at the outside edge of the cupcake, place the petals all around. Do this for 3 layers. Finish by putting a different color marshmallow in the center. I used yellow.

***Important note: These cupcakes should not be left uncovered or refrigerated, it makes the marshmallow petals dry put and look shriveled up.

Perfect Little Flower Pots

For the display, I used some pots from the gardening section of my local grocery store, covered them with some ribbon, and placed Styrofoam inside of them. I covered the Styrofoam with some green “grass” and placed the cupcakes on skewers and stuck them into the pot. It turned out really cute and people were amazed at how creative the cupcakes were. The best part was, these cupcakes were one of the easiest things I have done in a while.

 

These cute cupcakes are a must for your next event! Let me know if you have any questions about the recipe.

 

Stay sweet!

xoxo, Jill

 

Fourth of July Inspiration

Happy Monday!

As you all know – the 4^th of July is right around the corner.  I LOVE the 4^th of July! Great food, a day spent at the beach or laying by the pool, lots of friends, and an evening filled with fireworks – not many things could make me happier!

It’s also a great excuse to make really adorable and festive cupcakes! Before I decide what I want to make for the 4^th, I took a look online and gathered some really awesome inspiration.

Enjoy 🙂

P.S. Just click the photo and it will take you to the site where I found the photo!

American Flag Cupcakes

Patriotic Tye-Dye – So much Fun! I also LOVE the little American Flag on the top. Perfect touch!

Ice Cream and Cupcakes - Nothing more American 🙂

Ice cream cone Cupcakes. A not-so-traditional approach to the normal ideas of red and white blue cupcakes. Simple but adorable!!

Simple and Elegant

This set up is just so perfect! I love the coordinating wrappers and the small red and blue flowers. This shows a perfect balance of color without having red, white, and blue overkill.

Popsicle Cupcakes!

Red, White and Blue “Bomb Pop” Cupcakes. I love the popsicle stick for added effect!Kids will go crazy for these!

Beautiful Swirl Frosting!

3 color striped frosting! This is such a fun technique. I’ve done it a few times here and here.

Lot’s of awesome ideas, right?! I am going to do a lot of baking and experimenting tonight, so make sure you check back for my 4^th of July cupcake recipe and more decorating ideas!

Have a sweet day!

Xoxo,

Jill

Classic White Cake

Image from weheartit.com

Ah, Wednesday. Halfway through the week – Wednesday feels good, doesn’t it?! I’d like to thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes! You sure know how to make a girl feel loved 🙂

I have to admit though, with everything going on for my birthday, I neglected to notice that it was my dear friend’s one year wedding anniversary. Such a great milestone to celebrate! And you know that no one loves a celebration as much as I do, it’s the perfect excuse for eating tons of cake (or cupcakes in my preference!)

So today, I dedicate this post to my close friend Nikki. You are inspiring, determined, and oh-so creative. Thanks for being my friend and happy ONE YEAR Anniversary! So happy for you and your hubby!

Let’s celebrate with a recipe for traditional white cake and some great cupcake decorating ideas!!

Beautiful Cake and Cupcake Display! By "Cakes and Culinary Creations"

Classic White Cupcakes (adapted recipe from Wilton)

Ingredients

• 6 cups white flour sifted

• 2 tablespoons baking powder

• 1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened

• 3 cups granulated sugar

• 2 cups milk

• 2 tbs of Vanilla Extract

• 12 egg whites

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Fill cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

2. Sift together flour and baking powder. Set aside.

3. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Set aside.

4. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Set aside.

5. With mixer at slow speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with milk.

6. Beat well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.

7. Gently fold egg whites into batter.

8. Pour into cupcake liners.

9. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

I would use any of the following frostings – depending on what mood you’re in!

Strawberry Buttercream

Classic Buttercream

Marshmallow Whip

Pinapple Cool Whip Frosting

Classic White Cupcakes with white pearls! LOVE it!

Mini White Cake Cupcakes. So Cute!

That’s all for today. Have a fabulous Wednesday, and as always, Stay Sweet!

xoxo, Jill